How do you say "poor" in French?

pauvre

Adjective Noun

In French, "poor" is pauvre.

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Pronunciation

Say pohvr, one syllable where the final vr blends together quickly, similar to the English word pour with a v.

Grammar notes

pauvre is a adjective used the same way as its English equivalent.

Example sentence

Ils étaient pauvres mais heureux.

They were poor but happy.

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How to remember pauvre

Pauvre sounds like poverty, and both words share that same pauv or poor root.

Related words

Browse all French words in the glossary.

Questions about pauvre

How do you pronounce pauvre?

Say pohvr, one syllable where the final vr blends together quickly, similar to the English word pour with a v.

Is pauvre formal or casual?

pauvre is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.

How is pauvre used in French?

pauvre is used the same way as the equivalent English adjective. For example: Ils étaient pauvres mais heureux. (They were poor but happy.).

Where can I practice French words for free?

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"Poor" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

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